


The Second Queen of King Lotor

by sebastian_michaelishive



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Didnt realize it till now, Execution, Falling Out of Love, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Insecure Lance, Insecure Lotor, Kind of Tudor-ish, Lance doesnt get a happy ending, Lance loves Lotor too much, Lance/Lotor - Freeform, Lancelot - Freeform, Langst, Lotor and Lance have a kid, Lotor is nice but turns into a tyrant, Lovers To Enemies, M/M, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Revenge against Lotor, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, im sorry, lotor/lance - Freeform, poor lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-11-19 04:02:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian_michaelishive/pseuds/sebastian_michaelishive
Summary: He wanted to die. Lotor is angry. Lance comforts Lotor and they are happy.Then everything goes downhill. Lance wants to die. Lotor is angry.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of takes inspiration from some major events from Anne Boleyn's tragic life. 
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: GRAPHIC SUICIDE AHEAD. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT

Lance sat in the pod, waiting. Waiting for his vision to go blurry. Waiting for the beat of his heart to slow. Waiting for his head to get dizzy. Waiting to black out. Waiting to die.  

He was a good distance away from the castle now. He had just shut off the main engine, letting the pod float among the masses of stars in the never ending vastness of space. All he had to do now was wait for the pills to take effect and everything would be over. 

It was a good thing he had packed the pills. He had been prescribed them when he was younger, about 14, and ever since he had gotten into the Garrison, he had been getting mandatory refills every three months, as required on his health form. They were antidepressants, and he took them in secret, not wanting everyone to know that the happy, flirtatious, and overly confident Lance they knew was just a product of chemical-inducing happy pills.

The 3rd month had been the month he had discovered Voltron, and before he left anywhere he always took the bottle with him in case he'd be gone for a while. However, the thrill of finding Voltron and finally doing something exciting increased the flow of his 'feelgood' juices in his brains, and he was happy for a while. In fact, Lance was so content, he locked the pills away, within a compartment of his lion, where he forgot them soon after. He wished he hadn't though, because soon, Lance went right back to hitting an emotional all-time low in a matter of months. 

_Stop fooling around!_

_Get back to work!_

_Can't you do something right for once?_

_Can't you do anything right for once?_

_Not now, Lance._

_Stop being a nuisance, Lance._

_Shut up, Lance!_

_Go away, Lance!_

_Why did the Blue Lion even pick you?_

The last one he had overheard being said during a conversation between the other Paladins and Allura just a few hours ago. After a failed sparring on Lance's part with the simulator, he went straight to his room, already aware of the exasperated look on Shiro's face, not wanting to hear his criticism or whatever snarky remark Keith had to say. Shiro tried to get him to stay, but Lance did not heed his directions, opting to bolt to his room instead and take a long, warm shower, where he stayed until the water ran cold, letting silent tears roll down his tan cheeks. He was tired of everyone thinking he was a disappointment, and he knew he was, because Shiro himself had told him. 

"I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, Lance," he began after Lance had failed to beat the simulator past level four. Everyone else was level **seven**. "But your progress has been nothing short of disappointing. Whatever's going on with you, you've got to put it aside and focus on your skills right now. You're dragging everyone down right now because you're so far behind, and we cannot afford to have that right now."

Lance had blinked back tears, each word slicing like a blunt knife being stabbed into his back. He had tried to make eye contact with the rest of his team, trying to search for a source of comfort and encouragement, but no one brought themselves to look at him. Why? Because they knew what Shiro was saying was nothing short of the truth, and they couldn't bring themselves to look at Lance and reveal that they all thought the same. 

Looking away was just as revealing however, and in a way, it was more painful because it showed how hard they were trying to keep the truth from him. Knowing that his own friends found him a burden wiped out a chunk of his heart clean out of his chest. It hurt him dearly, to know that his closest companions would stand by and watch him suffer rather than help ease his pain. Even outside of practice, his two friends made no effort to offer some kind of companionship. Pidge was always meddling with her tech,  badgering Lance out of her sight like an older sister would an intruding brother, and Hunk would always be busy making who knows what in the kitchen. 

**FOUR HOURS AGO:**

"He isn't here...right?" He heard Pidge ask, clearly uncomfortable with talking shit about him. 

"He's probably still moping in his room." 

Keith. The resident asshole; of course. 

"That's enough Keith." Allura scolded, and Lance heard her sigh. "Honestly though, we need to do something about this."

"I assume you mean Lance, right?"

"Yes, Hunk. Look, I know he's your friend and Blue chose him and all, but in complete honesty, I'm beginning to wonder if the lions can make mistakes."

His heart stopped, and amidst the silence was a collective gasp, even from Keith. A...mistake? Lance...a _mistake_??

"You can't mean to say the lions can misjudge their Paladins!" Shiro countered, shocked that Allura could say such a thing. 

Allura did not hold back. "Why not? Look at your lion. **_Zarkon_** was once her original Paladin, and look at how he turned out!"

"Yes, but Lance isn't Zarkon! He isn't evil, he's just..." Shiro trailed off, and Lance came up with a list of things they could say and probably were thinking. 

_Weak._

_Powerless._

_Useless._

_A seventh wheel._

_A disappointment._  

"I hate to be the bad guy here," he heard Keith say, finally interrupting the suffocating silence. "But Lance... isn't anyone to phone home about." 

"Keith, no..." Pidge tried, but he completely overruled her. 

"Pidge, I'm sorry, but it's true. I know I sound like a completely insensitive asshole right now, but you've gotta think about it." He said. "I mean, why did the Blue Lion even pick _Lance_?"

Why _did_ Blue even pick him? It pained Lance to even assume that it was out pity, but he was with Shiro and Keith and Pidge and Hunk. They all had extremely useful abilities, but Lance...Lance was just there. He wasn't some brilliant engineer or techie. Lance wasn't some piloting prodigy or gladiator champion. He was... _normal_. Just a boy from Cuba with a dream of becoming a fighter pilot.

It filled his heart with dread to even think about the mere **thought** of Blue making a mistake in picking him as her Paladin, or worse, that she was just using him as a _**placeholder**_ until her real, worthy Paladin was found. That would mean that all their memories together, all their adventures, their **_bond_**...it would all mean nothing. It would all have been for _nothing_. Lance would rather **die** than be humiliated with the title of placeholder after working so hard to forge a bond with her, only for the entire thing to go to waste after she found her rightful Paladin. 

The thought terrified him more than ever, and his heart couldn't take anymore. Lance didn't need to hear anything else to know that he wasn't welcome, that he didn't **belong**. He shuffled away, heading for Blue, wanting to find at least _some_ source of comfort. Even if it was from someone who could potentially be using him. 

Blue let him inside right away, sensing his immediate sorrow, immediately asking him what was wrong in her own way. She radiated a wave of warm, soothing comfort, and he basked in it, letting out a gutteral sob out as the feeling enveloped him. However, in his fear, he had shut her out, and Blue found she couldn't get to him. She pried and probed at him, but nothing seemed to work, and it eventually earned her a soft nudge to one of her lower compartments, popping one open. As he bent to close it, something caught his eye. It was cylindrical, at least 15 tablets inside, the color of the bottle a typical pharmaceutical orange. His _antidepressants_. 

He tensed, and Blue could feel the aura around him run ice cold. She sensed something was horribly wrong, and she desperately tried to get her Paladin to open up to her, but his mind was elsewhere. Lance looked at the bottle, picking it up, twirling it in his hand inspecting it. They were still good, all 24 tablets still inside. It would be easy. And he was right next to the pod room. No one would have to know. The others wouldn't think on it. If fact, Lance would like to think that the rest of the crew would be _relieved_ of his absence, glad the burden disposed of himself. 

In that moment, his tears stopped flowing and a tired smile making it's way across his face. The freezing aura was still there, and Blue grew confused. If Lance was smiling then why...why was the feeling still _there??_ She didn't understand, and saw Lance had the bottle in his hands. She inquired about them, and he gave her an answer. 

"They make you happy, Blue," he said vaguely, standing up. He rubbed her dashboard lovingly, because he did love her, and he liked to believe that she did too, even if it was only temporary. 

"I know what to do, beautiful." He declared, stepping out of her mouth. She closed it, and he began to walk away, but she stopped him, one final question bugging her mind. 

_'Where are you going?'_

Lance smiled, going back, pressing an icy kiss to her muzzle, and she whimpered. He rested his head upon it, letting his eyes flutter. 

"I'm going to go be **happy** , Blue." He said, squeezing her mechanical nose as tightly as he could. Lance hoped she would be okay. He wasn't her _real_ Paladin (at least, that's what he thought), but they still were pretty close. He didn't want to imagine the pain he'd be causing her by...he managed to convince himself that no matter how much she'd hurt, it was for the best. He didn't deserve her, and she deserved someone better. 

"I **_love_** you, Blue," he murmured against her metal nose, "even if you don't love me."

He went out despite her protests, despite her reassuring whines, begging him to stay and explain what he meant, telling him that she _did_ love him. Lance had stopped listening a while ago. 

Lance readied his escape pod, not bothering to change into any sort of gear. The chamber opened, and  he was left facing the dark, probably cold, black emptiness outside. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, wondering if he should, if there was another away. A little spot of doubt had implanted in the back of his head, beginning to grow rapidly. However, the small voice of his conscience had another idea. 

**_Don't pussy out now, bitch!_ **

The little voice in his head was quite cruel at times. 

_**You're useless to them. They hate you, resent you. The least you could do is relieve them of your pitiful existence.** _

The small seed of doubt was still there, and Lance could feel his palms sweating against the controls, still unsure. The voice was _not_ going to put up with that.

_**You'd finally be doing something right for once.** _

If the voice could smile, it would snarl in the most ferocious of ways, it's sharp teeth glinting against it's sneering lips. It had hit the jackpot. 

Lance blasted out of the hangar, speeding away as fast as he could, watching on the grid as the castle became farther and farther away. He let the velvety blackness of space surround him, watching the twinkling stars dot the vastness ahead. In that moment, Lance felt most **alone** he had ever felt, and he had had some pretty lonely moments. However, knowing that _no one_ was going to be there during your final moments, that you'll be floating around in never ending space for who knows _how long_...it made him feel _tiny_. Like a speck of dust floating in the solar winds of the cosmic universe. 

At the same time, he felt _relaxed_ , as if he could breathe again. As scary as it seemed, for him, to die in such a huge place somehow seemed strangely peaceful.  To know that the last thing he'd ever gaze upon was the _infinite_ universe, the _billions_ of stars in the jet black cosmos...it **calmed** him. 

With that thought in mind, he carefully opened the bottle, slowly bringing each one up into his mouth one by one, silently admiring the unending sight before him. He did not take notice of the burning hot tears streaming down his face. 

**NOW:**

He cried out in _excruciating_ pain, doubling over, painfully vomiting again. Lance was now aware of the tears cascading down his face, mixing in with the sweat that drenched his entire body. 

He panted heavily, breath erratic, his internal organs wrecking themselves from the damage the pills were causing, his body slowly dying from the inside. Lance wiped his mouth, grunting from the sudden squeeze his stomach seem ed to give, finding bile mixed with blood smeared on the back of his hand. He groaned pitifully, wishing it would just be **_over_** already. 

The movies always showed suicide by pill as a quiet, painless, and relatively quick way to go. Lance cursed those movies every time he doubled over to puke, each time bile becoming more and more stained with blood. _What a damn **lie**. _

It **wasn't** painless, not at all. Lance knew he was dying the moment he began  getting dizzy, but instead of darkness slowly overtaking him, he was hit with the worst abdominal pain he'd _ever_ experienced in his entire **life**. His body became _clammy_ , his being cold but dripping sweat, slowly beginning to shake more and more,  foam **bubbling** and **frothing** at the edge of his mouth, throat  burning as the acid from his stomach made it's way up his esophagus.

It wasn't supposed to end like this; this isn't what he had had in mind. Lance had wanted a _calm_ , _peaceful_ descent into permanent sleep, not to be writhing in a tight pod, in unfathomable **pain**. He  had to accept it now though, as there was no knife, no gun with him in the pod, no means of a quick escape from this hell he had created. All he had was the agonizing torment of his own body gradually being killed from the inside, the pills delivering his final, torturously prolonged blow.

* * *

 

 "I regret to inform your Majesty that your wife has once again given birth to _another_ stillborn, sire."

~~Prince~~ King Lotor gripped the handles of his throne with enough strength to reduce the hand of a regular man to pulp. He took a minute to recollect himself, trying so hard not to lash out, mustering enough self control to ask what he needed to know. He was almost sure of the answer, but he had to know.

"What...what **_was_** it?" he inquired through gritted teeth.

The soldier was silent, afraid of what would happen if he told him. Told him it was another failure, another attempt gone to waste.

"...It was a boy, your Majesty."

Lotor said nothing, leaving the soldier anxious amidst the gloomy quietness that immediately filled the room. Zarkon's son's head was lowered, his platinum blond strands of hair falling in front of his face until finally, he began to raise it, a low, menacing growl rumbling deep within his chest, getting louder and louder until it was a gut-wrenching but positively terrifying roar. It echoed throughout the room, and the Galran soldiers and other staff outside quickly scurried off, not wanting to know what had set their king off so badly to make him give out such a startling noise.

"Again!!!" he cried, pounding his fists on his throne, making the soldier tremble with fear. " **Again**!!! This is the _fifth time_!! _**THE FIFTH!!** _ So many times, and not one single live _**SON**_??!! Why does this keep _HAPPENING_??!! Why can't the universe just give me the joy of fathering at least just **ONE SON??** **ONE** _**LIVE**_ **SON**??? Am I _cursed_?? Have I set off the fury of the gods??   _ **WILL THEY NOT GRANT ME ONE HEALTHY SQUALLING SON!??"**_

He panted heavily, trying to cool down from his rant, gripping at his hair before snapping an order to the soldier in front of him.

"I want to see my wife." He said, getting up. "Where is she?"

"In her room, sire. But I must warn you; she is grieving quite deeply. She too, is sick with grief over losing your son."

Lotor nodded, and made his way to his wife, Queen Corral's chamber. The maids all bowed down to him as he entered, and he saw the poor, ginger woman on her bed, her cries filled with anguish and despair. Not only had she lost her son, but it was the _fifth_ stillborn in a row, and her husband was becoming impatient. She knew how much having a son meant to her husband, and so far, all she had been able to give him was a daughter, Princess Demossa, who was going to turn six in three months. Though she knew Lotor _did_ love Demossa dearly, his daughter would simply not be able to fill the spot in his heart that longed for a son. Corral also knew that Zarkon had _some_ sort of degree of influence when it came to his son's unquenchable desire for a son, but she did not know how much sway he had on it before he had gone into a comatose state after his final battle with Voltron. 

Corral looked up at her husband with watery eyes, filled with sorrow and terror, petrified at the thought of her husband hurting her more than she was already. 

_"I'm so sorry, your Majesty_ ," she made out as best she could, her speech impediment garbling her voice a bit, since she wasn't speaking her natural language. _"I did not mean for this to happen again! All I want is to give you a son, but the gods keep ignoring my pleas! I beseech you, my husband, let us try again! Even if it is just once more, please, just-"_

Lotor silenced her with a wave of his hand, cutting her off. She whimpered, a bit scared as her husband sat down on the bed next to her, and he gently raised a hand, wiping away her tears. Corral's eyes widened, as big as scaltrite lenses, as Lotor wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back tenderly, murmuring soft, comforting words in her ear. He rocked her back and forth gently, pressing a light kiss to her temple. 

"It is alright, darling," he whispered, his soothing, velvety voice calling her to sleep, her eyelids lidding slightly. "You are in pain, you are grieving. I cannot blame you...losing our son is devastating to you as well. You need to sleep, rest. We may speak again when you are better."

Corral let out a tiny, inferior groan, and Lotor gently laid her down to rest, staying there,  holding her hand until she fell asleep. He stayed there, letting his own tears fall, up until a knock on the door caught his attention. The king nodded to one of the maids, who got up and opened the door. Another soldier stood outside, waiting. 

"Sir," he said, "we've got reports of an unidentified pod within our perimeters."

"Tell them to report in," Lotor growled, but the soldier had something more interesting to say. 

"Sir, we have reason to believe that it may belong to the forces of Voltron. They even think one of the Paladins is the one piloting it."

Lotor grinned maliciously, his spirits lifting up greatly. He slipped his hand out of his wife's, walking towards the Galran. 

" _Oh_?" He hummed. "Bring him in, and begin his interrogation immediately. This may be our only chance at finding out the secrets to defeating Voltron. I want to have **_something_** to make my father proud when he wakes."

"There's just one problem, though."

Lotor spun his head around, as quick as lighting. "What do you _mean_? What **_problem_**?" He snarled, not at all happy that there would be another obstacle preventing him from fulfilling his goals. 

"Sir...the presumed Paladin seems to be on the verge of death. When he breached the perimeters, the scanners pulled up an image of the front. Part of the window appears to be smeared with blood, and the pilot appeared to be having a seizure. We have yet to determine why."

The king furrowed his eyebrows, a bit shocked. A dying Paladin? This was interesting...

"Bring him in, and quickly. Tend to him as best as you can, do everything possible to bring him back from the verge.  He is a valuable asset for us; we must _ **not lose him!"**_

The soldier nodded, hustling back to his quarters. He wasted no time barking out his king's orders at them. 

" **Bring the Paladin in!"~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets interrogated, and Lotor finds a use in Lance being his prisoner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said it would be updated two Wednesdays ago, but summer school started for me, and I've been busy all week. I think it's just going to be any given Wednesday from now on, since the real school year starts three weeks after summer school ends. Bear with me please, because if my sophomore year of high school goes anything like my freshman year (dear god I hope it doesn't), updates will be seriously slow.

**GALRA BASE:**  
  
"I'm not telling you guys jack _shit_."

Lance screamed as the electrocution sequence started up again, his chained up body spasming and jerking around wildly like a ragdoll as volts of powerful electricity coursed throughout his veins. He couldn't see or hear anything, just a blinding light in front of his eyes and a startling, painful buzzing rattling within his ears. The soldier, named Solass, only kept the generator on for about thirty ticks, but for Lance, it felt like forever. Solass finally stopped the generator, and crept up uncomfortably close to a sweating and panting Lance, his yellow eyes narrowing as he let out a low, deep growl.

"We spent the entire night fixing you up just to break you back down again," he rumbled, emitting malicious intention. "If you do not want to go back to the sorry state we found you in last night...you'd best answer these questions. Not that I'd lose any sleep over anybody like you."

Lance only snorted in response. "Look, buster, I get it, I'm nobody," he spat, his voice dripping with a tired sense of sarcasm, giving absolutely zero fucks at the moment. "But the thing is, my team thought the exact same thing. They never had the guts to tell me, I guess, but I don't think it would've taken a genius to figure out they thought I couldn't do anything right."

He coughed hoarsely before speaking again, his voice beginning to go raw from his screaming. They'd shocked him only twice, but the intense torment was enough for Lance's voice to start giving out. The young man looked up at the soldier, his sad blue eyes filled with defiance.

"This is my final chance to prove to the rest of my team that I can do something right," he groaned.

"You'll die," Solass pointed out.

Lance gave a dry laugh. "Maybe so," he said, "but if there's one thing I can do, it's keep secrets. Whatever secrets I know about Voltron are going to die along with me. That's a fact."

"The way you speak about your teammates is most interesting, Paladin," Solass noted, gazing into his azure eyes with his own intruding Galran ones. "You make it seem as if they've not a care in the world for you...yet you still have this deep sense of loyalty towards them...why ever would you remain faithful to a crew that has seemed to mistreat you?"

"I...I don't know," Lance admitted. "I guess that no matter how much hurt I was going through...the universe still needs Voltron to defend it against bad guys like you and the rest of the Galran Empire. I can't turn against the entire universe like that. I might be in pain, but the torture the rest of the other of billions of people out there will suffer if I give everything up to this empire would be unimaginable. I'd never forgive myself."

Solass didn't question him any further, not appearing to be moved in the slightest by Lance's words, only going back to his place at the generator to continue his interrogation.

"Very well, then." He said, his clawed hands hovering over the virtual buttons at the ready. "You'll be dying a very painful death, Paladin."

He shrugged, too tired to talk. "I don't mind," he managed, a melancholy smile gracing his face. "I wasn't good enough to be in this universe anyway."

The blare of the generator roared up, the sharp and agonizing stings of the mechanism forcing his muscles to clench up too tightly for comfort, until they all came together in a tsunami of heat and pain, and Lance opened his mouth, tortured wails escaping from his sore throat, only to die down as quickly as they came out, his voice officially gone.

**THE CASTLE:**

The castle was now entering the morning cycle, having been reprogrammed a bit by Allura so the Paladins wouldn't feel so out of place, and be able to adjust to their lives in space more easily. For the Paladins, this meant it was time to start training, Allura waking them all through the comms to get to the training room to begin their lesson-and their day. It wasn't anything new for these cadets-just another day in their new life of being a space pilot/defender of the universe.

No one wasted time to get ready, but they weren't in a rush either, knowing very well by now just how much time they had in order to get themselves together for the start of their sparring lessons. That being said, everyone was there on time, looking to Allura for instructions, ready to begin their lesson. Well, _almost_ ready. There was still one person missing from the group, which was no surprise for any of them, as he was almost always late: Lance.

"I think we all know the drill by now." Keith said, leaning against the wall of the room, and Pidge let out a slight chuckle.

"Typical Lance," she said, adjusting her glasses a bit. "Always late."

"I really do hope he starts making more of an effort to be on time soon," Shiro murmured, looking over at the princess, "it's been bothering Allura for a while now; who knows when she'll snap at him."

"I'm surprised she hasn't already," Keith snickered, "I probably would have by now; he drives me _nuts_ sometimes. How were you guys able to put up with him back at the Garrison?"

Hunk, still a bit shaken up by the prior day's conversation, was there to defend his friend immediately.

"Well, he's actually a pretty cool guy to hang around with, once you get to know him," he told him. "He may not look like he would be, since he's always goofing off and flirting 99.9% of the time, but Lance can be pretty serious if the situation calls for it. It's actually pretty weird to see him like that sometimes, but hey, he knows when to be fun and when to not to be."

"Could've fooled me," Keith snorted.

"Well, it's true," Hunk continued. "I mean, having **that** many brothers and sisters...he had to be the authoritative one at _some_ point."

"Wait, Lance has **siblings**?" Shiro asked, a bit surprised that he hadn't known it before.

"Yep, he has like, four sisters and three other brothers," Hunk explained, having caught everyone-minus the princess'- attention. "Lance is the third oldest. He has an older brother and sister, but they aren't able to be around much. His older sister is serving in the military as a Navy officer, and his brother is away at college on a scholarship, so he's the one in charge back at home when his parents aren't around."

Shiro blinked, trying to imagine the Lance he knew trying to juggle five younger siblings all on his own.

"That...seems like a handful..." He said, and Hunk laughed.

"For Lance?" He chuckled, looking back on fond memories of him and his best friend hanging out at Lance's house after school. " _Never_. He was an  expert at the whole sibling thing. They'd always want to play with us after school, so we'd play tag or something to wear them out a bit. Then, we'd go inside when they got tired, and he'd make them a bow of...I think he called it something like...a _ross_...a _rose_ \- no, I remember now! _Arroz con pollo_ , he called it, or sometimes refried beans if there was no rice. It tasted _great_ , and he'd sit them down in front of the T.V as they ate, and we'd have the rest of the time to ourselves since they'd get so into whatever show they were watching. But it was nice. He even had his little quirks with them, like when his baby sister Adrianna was sad, he'd stick his tongue out, and she'd be all happy again."

"Speaking of quirks...he'd always used to do this **thing** ," Pidge recalled, her mouth going into a little pout as she tried to reassemble the memory, "I don't know if you noticed, Hunk, but back at the Garrison, there were these moments where Lance would just... _disappear_ for a moment or two, and then come back like nothing had happened."

"Yeah, you're right, Pidge," He agreed, looking up thoughtfully. "It happened around every week or so too, maybe that's why I didn't catch it at first."

"What could he have been doing?" Keith asked. "I mean, it was only a second or two...not really anything too bad could happen in that timeframe."

"No, I guess not," Pidge said, blowing away at a single strand of hair in her face. "But I still can't help but wonder why he-"

"Okay, that's **_IT!!_** "

Everyone jumped about a foot high, the room quickly silencing as they reeled back from Allura's sudden and angered boom, leaving everyone else wide eyed and a bit frightened. Shiro felt a pit growing in his stomach; Lance had really done it this time. He knew no matter how hard he would try to protest against the princess, she just wouldn't have it. Lance had finally managed to draw the last straw for her. He pitied Lance, but at the same time, he couldn't get the thought of _'he had it coming'_ out of his head. Lance should- _did_ -know better, after all.

"I've had it with Lance coming in late all the time!" she fumed, her rage clear in her voice. "And he's taking his sweet time today too! This is the longest he's _**ever**_ made us wait. I'm going to go _drag_ him out right now, regardless of whether he's ready or not!"

The other Paladins were quick to hurry after her as she stormed off to Lance's room, trying to get her to stop or at least slow down, maybe drop her anger towards Lance once more. It proved to be useless though, as anything they said to her at this point was just verbal mumbo jumbo that went through her ear and out the other. She opened up Lance's room, ready to give him a bit more than an earful, but she only managed to screech out his name before the rest of her rant died out in the back of her throat.

Lance's bed was still made. They checked the bathroom, and it was empty; clean as well. There was no sign that he had even set foot in his room last night.

"He...isn't here."

Allura felt a sense of uneasiness stirring within her, her mind fluttering back to the previous night's conversation before, pushing it away to bark an order at the other Paladins.

"Search the castle," She said, her anger slowly converting into worry. "Find him."

Coran's flamboyant voice blared over the comms, urgency as clear as day as he spoke hurriedly.

 ** _"Paladins!"_** he cried. _**"Princess! Get to the front! Now, cause we've got trouble!''**_

* * *

Lotor could see the castle from where he stood at the front of his warship, and he grinned, his head filled to the brim with malicious intentions. The Voltron force would be significantly weakened with the loss of one of their Paladins, he knew. Unable to form Voltron, they'd have to resort to using each of their lions individually, and while they were still pretty powerful on their own, it was nothing compared to the full wrath of Voltron. In fact, attacking individually could _increase_ the chances of the lions being captured one by one during battle if one of them ever got overwhelmed.

Why, he could even hold their dear Paladin hostage, his ransom being each and every lion. Or else...their little Paladin could kiss his life goodbye, and it would be all their fault for being uncooperative. They'd be haunted with the guilt that would come with their teammate's death, his demise heavy on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. Oh, how **_fun_** it would be to toy around with their lives using the one of one of their comrades.

"Sir."

He turned around, one of his soldiers standing behind him ready to report in. Lotor gave him the okay to do so, and the soldier began to speak again.

"I've received word from the base regarding the Blue Paladin," He continued. "He's not cooperating with the interrogation. Not an ounce of information has been retrieved since he was brought in, and if he's pushed any further, he may die."

"Tell Solass to stop the interrogation and put him in his own cell next to the other prisoners, and set up a video feed as well. I want their fellow Paladin's torment to be etched into their minds if they refuse my demands."

The Galran nodded and went off to do as he was told, delivering the message back at the base. Lotor turned to one of the Galrans up at the control center, ordering him to send the ones at the castle a message. The king swept a light purple hand throughout his platinum blond hair, his fingers gliding through it with ease as he combed it back. He had to look his best, of course, and what better way to get your point across than exuding confidence and intimidation from your looks? Lotor had a way with looks, and he knew it. Combine that with the fact that he practically _oozed_ authority -thanks to his royal heritage, of course- and Lotor could pretty much get what -and away with-what he wanted without so much as batting an eye. It was a trait he considered being blessed with. Of course, there were _many_ pretty people with power, but they all lacked Lotor's sinister way of thinking. Unlike the King, they didn't know how to put those two together and use them to their advantage, how to turn them into a deadly concoction of fear, seduction, and manipulation. They had all the tools to do it, but no idea how to harness their usefulness, and thus, they became nothing more than a pretty face sitting atop a plain throne.

* * *

_**"Hello to you all."** _

Allura's eyes narrowed, her eyes burning with with a hateful fire that could only be put out with the destruction of the empire that had wiped out her entire race. She clenched her fists as she faced the man who had popped up on the screen just seconds ago, convinced that he had something to do with Lance's disappearance.

"What have you done with Lance! Tell me!" she shouted, her rage flaring as Lotor laughed at her petulant cries.

 _ **"How quick you are, Princess!"**_ He taunted, using a flirtatious tone that everyone could not help but correlate with Lance. They drove the thought out as quickly as it flew into their heads; Lance wasn't anything like Lotor.

 _ **"Lance, you said his name was?"** _ he said, _**"Such an elegant name...too bad his condition is anything but."**_

"Please, don't hurt him any more than he already is," Hunk pleaded, Lotor's words bringing out all the worst case scenarios in his head. "He hasn't done anything wrong, just please let him go!"

Lotor sneered nastily at him, a dark chuckle leaving his throat. As if he was going to make it _that_ easy...

 _ **"I'm going to need a little more than pleas of innocence to make me give him back**_ ," Lotor remarked, looking down at his nails with a look of boredom, turning his gaze back up at the screen with an expression that radiated cruel intentions.

" _ **Something a bit more...physical. More... mechanical."**_

He put his hand down, his face morphing into a look that now told them that he was done playing around.

 _ **"This game of cat and mouse has gotten quite boring for me,"** _ he growled. "I _**fear it no longer satisfies me. How about we indulge in a game with much more promising results...and much higher stakes?"**_

Shiro stepped up next to Allura, trying to exude a calm and challenging demeanor, but deep down, he felt his stomach beginning to tangle and knot up into a ball of anxiety and worry. Still, he had to stay strong no matter how hard it was for him, he had to, for Lance.

"What are you implying?" he asked firmly, something in the back of his head already knowing what Lotor intended to bet on.

The King glared down at them for a moment from where he stood on his side of the screen before speaking again.

" _ **I'm going to give you all a chance to settle this peacefully,"** _ he began. " _ **No fighting, no damage, no casualties. Just a chance for you to give me what I want, and me to give you what you want."**_

"And what would that be?" Keith asked, amethyst eyes clouded with intense distrust.

 _"_ ** _Give me the lions,"_** Lotor declared, his voice hardened with authority, as he was **not** going to budge from this request, " _ **and your dear Lance will be returned to you, safe and sound."~**_

__

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I should make it known that as of now in the story, Lotor hasn't actually seen Lance yet. 
> 
> And I apologize for the absolutely shitty dialogue; I'm still trying to figure out how to convey each character verbally. 
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated. So are comments :)
> 
> Follow me on Instagram @sebastian.michaelishive for updates on this story.


	3. hey there demons, its me, ya girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> read this fucc-ery cos it's important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May or may not be deleting this fic and just be sticking to the series version.

Okay, so I might be deleting this version of the TSQOKL, despite it having a lot more hits than the series version of the same name. The reason I may do this (nothing is final yet) is mainly because I wrote this back when I didn't know Lotor's  personality or character. Yes, people have made fics with him even before he came out, but they kind of got his persona down, while I don't really like the way I portray him here. I make him seem like some kind of short tempered, stone hearted bastard who's about as dull as a nonmetal element (I may or may not have an affinity for chemistry), when he's actually not like that at all. He's a complex character with a rough background, and I want to incorporate that more into the story, and even bring in his generals as well. 

I also may delete this version because it might have been a vent piece at one point. Lance will still have his suicidal tendencies yes, but I feel like I may have villainized the crew and made them seem like jerks, when they really aren't. And as much as I am a slut for Langst, the angst factor should really go for Keith. I think he's been through a lot more, and suffered more emotional trauma than Lance has, but then again, this is an AU. And speaking of my son, I will be incorporating him into the story as well (not as Klance though). But I will still continue on with the series version of this story, which is under my pseud LoveMeKnot. I just thought y'all should know. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want updates, follow me on Instagram @in.this.reality. I'm not active as much on the previously mentioned Instagram @.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> ◾Follow me on Instagram @sebastian.michaelishive for updates on this. Trying to go for updates every Wednesday. Comments/Constructive criticism appreciated.
> 
> ◾You are not alone: Suicide Prevention Hotline (USA): 1-800-273-8255  
> Samaritans (UK): http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/samaritans-free-call-helpline-number-faqs


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